The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Exodus 6:12,
"If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?"
This is the response of Moses to God when God asked him again to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go (following his first approach to Pharaoh.) Apparently Moses was not the best speaker. We read it again later in verse 30, "Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?"
In Exodus 4:10 we read of Moses telling the Lord the same thing when the Lord first commissioned Moses to the task of confronting Pharaoh about allowing Israel to leave, "Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."
Stephen made his own observation of Moses, "Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action." Acts 7:22. Somewhere between Moses being powerful in speech but yet faltering in speech, Moses was God's man!
God chose Moses, a man who spoke with "faltering lips", non-eloquent, and slow of speech and tongue to be his spokesman to Pharaoh and the nation of Israel. Moses became the man God spoke through when he gave the law to Israel and to be his premier prophet.
Why would God choose someone so naturally ill-equipped to such an important appointment? I am reminded of what Paul told the church in Corinth, "Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him." 1 Corinthians 1:26-29.
"If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?"
This is the response of Moses to God when God asked him again to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go (following his first approach to Pharaoh.) Apparently Moses was not the best speaker. We read it again later in verse 30, "Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?"
In Exodus 4:10 we read of Moses telling the Lord the same thing when the Lord first commissioned Moses to the task of confronting Pharaoh about allowing Israel to leave, "Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."
Stephen made his own observation of Moses, "Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action." Acts 7:22. Somewhere between Moses being powerful in speech but yet faltering in speech, Moses was God's man!
God chose Moses, a man who spoke with "faltering lips", non-eloquent, and slow of speech and tongue to be his spokesman to Pharaoh and the nation of Israel. Moses became the man God spoke through when he gave the law to Israel and to be his premier prophet.
Why would God choose someone so naturally ill-equipped to such an important appointment? I am reminded of what Paul told the church in Corinth, "Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him." 1 Corinthians 1:26-29.
God chose Moses to speak for him, a man with "faltering lips". In choosing those least likely to excel in a given area, God demonstrates his empowering of them. God can be sensed and felt behind the scenes of what he does when he is on the move.
All of us need to recognize that in spite of our weaknesses, in spite of a lack of talent or expertise in an area, we just may be tapped by God to be used by him for his purposes.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know. A blog with all my posts can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know. A blog with all my posts can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment